Chariho seeks better evaluation model

January 26, 2012

WOOD RIVER JUNCTION - Teacher evaluation is an important process for school districts around Rhode Island, but the Chariho School Committee sees improvements that can be made in the stateâs model for evaluating teachers, and will push to have them brought to light.

The committee voted unanimously to have Supt. Barry Ricci draft a resolution outlining ways that the Rhode Island teacher evaluation model can be improved, and where its problems exist. The resolution will be brought back to the school committee at its next scheduled meeting for discussion, and possibly sent to other committees.

âThe process is cumbersome, tiresome, and there is too much paper work involved,â said committee member Deb Carney, who requested the item be on the agenda at the meeting on Jan. 24. She held up a thick packet of papers for display, which was the outline of the stateâs teacher evaluation model.

Carney said that among the problems with the stateâs model is the fact that it physically takes teachers out of the building for too much time. She said that it causes time to be taken away from what the teachers are there to do; plan, grade and teach.

Time out of the classroom for teachers causes substitutes to have to be in the classes more, and even department heads covering classes while teachers are out.

Carney said that she would like to see the process more streamlined.

âA process that is more user friendly and accomplishes the goal that it is supposed to,â she said of what she would like to see.
âMore efficient,â she added.

The school district is currently in a gradual implementation year of the teacher evaluation model, according to Ricci, which is meant to give the Rhode Island Dept. of Education (RIDE) time to collect feedback from schools. The model is set to kick into full gear next year.